Big Wall, Big Price; Seaholm Art Wall Proposed for Downtown Austin

As part of the city’s ambitious plans to renovate a prime lakeside district downtown, Austin City Council is considering ways to fence off the Seaholm electric substation, and approved a proposal for the project from Boston architect Nader Tehrani’s NADAAA last thursday for 1000-foot massive “art wall” around the unsightly hardware that will set the city back $800,000, Austin’s largest public art project ever. In October, City Council member Chris Riley moved that the project be awarded to NADAAA instead of acclaimed artist Jim Isermann, who was recommended by the remarkably successful Austin art in Public Places Staff.

The big wall, varys in height from 12-25 feet and is illuminated at night with spooky colored lights. “The only thing missing is a Pink Floyd soundtrack,” joked Council Member Bill Spelman. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2013. You can see Tehrani’s presentation online, courtesy of Wells Dunbar of KUT News.